Assessment of Contact Pressure on the Road Pavement Created by Modern Vehicles

Abstract

The paper analyses the possibility of changing the current limits on vehicle axle loads and total vehicle weight depending on the vehicle type and the season when transporting goods by modern means of transport. The inefficient use of modern heavy trucks during the transportation of goods, forces construction organisations to violate transport regulations or to obtain special permits. The maximum permissible weight and axle load limits are set for the entire calendar period, which is incorrect because in winter the road structure becomes a "monolith" due to the frozen condition. This suggests that the seasonal characteristics of the road structure need to be taken into account when imposing the maximum limits set out in federal legislation. An important factor in the destructive effect on the road pavement is not the load and weight of the vehicle, but the pressure generated in the plane of the wheel impression on the road pavement surface. This paper presents the course of an experiment to assess the contact pressure on the pavement structure from modern vehicles in order to be able to compare the actual data with the normative data. Experimental data for the contact pressure evaluation showed results not exceeding the standard value of 0.8 MPa for the permanent road pavement type.